Beth and Meg at World's End
by Captn-Shamrock
Summary: We return once again to our characters, along with Meg and Beth, on the quest to rid the world of Lord Cutler Beckett while first retrieving Captain Jack Sparrow out of Davy Jones’ Locker. Please read all our other PotC parodies before this!
1. Singapore

**HOLY CRAP! Look who's back! Yes, I apologize for the long absence. Beth and I have gotten back to writing this together and we promise more chappies in the future!**

**DISCLAIMER: We own nothing but our own ideas, and our characters. The Mouse owns the rest!! **

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"…particularly a woman alone."

"What makes you think she's alone?" Captain Hector Barbossa questioned as he walked down the stairs, Meg and Beth following silently behind.

"You protect her?" the man named Tai Huang asked Barbossa. Beth and Meg exchanged glances.

"And what makes you think I need protection?" Elizabeth said, suddenly holding a knife at Tai Huang's throat.

"Your master is expecting us," Barbossa replied. "An unexpected death would cast a slight pall on our meeting." Elizabeth released Tai Huang as Meg and Beth raised an eyebrow after glancing at each other.

Tai Huang led the four pirates through a tunnel and only emerging when the streets of Singapore were clear of any East India Trading Company Soldiers.

"Have you heard anything from Will?" Elizabeth asked. Beth gave her a slightly dirty look.

"The whelp is more than capable of taking care of himself, and I trust young Tuner to acquire the charts," Barbossa replied. "But you—all three of you—in the presence of Sao Feng, you'll be wanting to show a bit more diffidence than is your custom. You all need to remember your place."

"Is he that terrifying?" Meg asked curiously with a raised brow.

"He's much like myself, but absent my merciful nature and sense of fair play."

Meg gave him a quizzical look.

They finally stopped in front of a set of rather large round doors. Tai Huang knocked on the door and a small slot opened.

"Hoi!" said a man on the other side. Meg and Beth looked at each other and suppressed fits of giggles. They composed themselves and followed after Barbossa.

"Remove weapons," said the man at the door. Barbossa took out all of his weapons and set them on a table to the left of the group. Elizabeth, Meg and Beth followed suit. Elizabeth moved to enter the bathhouse, but the man stopped her again.

"Do you think because she is a woman we would not suspect her of treachery?"

"Well, when you put it that way…" Barbossa replied with a smile.

"Remove…please," said the doorman. Barbossa nodded to Elizabeth, signaling her to remove any other weapons she was concealing. Then he looked to Beth, who shook her head, and Meg, who did the same. They could not afford to carry around any extra weight.

They had told Elizabeth when she was hiding all her weapons that it was a lost cause and that she'd have to hand them all over anyway. But, of course, she didn't listen to them.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, keeping them fixed on the doorman as she took of her gigantic hat ('Seriously,' Beth thought. 'Did she really go to all that trouble in order to find the biggest hat out there?!') and took out more guns, swords and a grenade. She made another move to enter the bathhouse when the doorman stopped her yet again.

"Remove. Please," he spoke with a smile. Elizabeth's jaw dropped, realizing what he wanted.

"What about them?!" she pointed back at the two young women behind her.

"They have shown a sense of honesty and have handed over all their weapons from the start. It is you who we cannot trust," he handed over an outfit for Elizabeth to change into.

Meg made a sort of bow to the doorman, showing her thanks. Beth smirked and nodded her head.

When they were finally allowed into the bathhouse, the three girls were not sure they should have in the first place. Men in herbal baths all around with their eyes fixed on the new comers. Meg glanced at Beth who was too busy trying to keep her eyes forward and not to stare. A very large man with a tattoo on his back led the group towards the rear of the bathhouse. The steam in the room caused the pirates to not be able to see those in this room until it cleared away a moment after they entered the room. Standing before them, with his back to them, was the Pirate Lord Sao Feng. The famed pirate turned around and addressed the party cordially.

"Captain Barbossa, welcome to Singapore." Turning to a servant girl on his right he said, "More steam," and she pulled a rope which set off a clicking noise, which somehow resulted in more steam. Beth looked at the intimidating Sao Feng with nervous curiosity. Barbossa mock bowed and urged the others to do so as well, showing respect to the pirate lord. Meg figured the last thing they needed right now was some sort of uproar, and followed Barbossa's instruction. Sao Feng eyed Barbossa, who had finished bowing, and said musically, "I understand you have a request to make of me."

"More of a proposal to put to ye," corrected the captain politely. "I have a venture underway and happen to find myself in need of a ship and a crew,"

Little did anyone but our beloved characters in Singapore know, Mr. Gibbs was leading an attack party down below, ready to hijack the boiler room and help the pirates above if needed.

The pirate lord scratched his bald head after hearing Barbossa with his abnormally long fingernails and replied, "This is an odd coincidence…"

"Because you happen to have a ship and a crew you don't need?" Beth inquired with a hopeful smile. Barbossa shot back a dirty look for her forwardness. Meg smirked while kept her eyes watchful for any signs of men trying to threaten them. Or worse, anyone who wished to have some company that night.

"No," murmured Sao Feng, "because earlier this day, not far from here, a thief broke into my most revered uncle's temple," there was a pause, "and tried to make off with these." the man displayed a cylinder-shaped object. "The navigational charts...the route to the farthest gate." Smiling at Barbossa, he inquired, "Wouldn't it be amazing if this venture of yours took you to the world beyond this one?"

"It would strain credulity at that..." said Barbossa. Meg quirked an eyebrow. "Why can't they use english?' she murmured to Beth,, "...then again...I never was one to study vocab for SATs..."

"And reason," Beth interjected, glancing at Meg who appeared annoyed and puzzled.

Sao Feng casually signalled to two men standing by one of the baths and they hoisted a man out of the water. It was William Turner. "This," Sao Feng gestured towards Will, "is the thief. Is his face familiar to you?" Beth was doing her best to shake her head and remain indifferent. Meg scowled and shook her head as well. Barbossa and Elizabeth did not seem as convincing.

"Then I guess," Sao Feng continued again, holding a large spike((?)) up to Will's neck, "he has no further need for it." The pirate lord moved as if to stab Will in the jugular and Beth could not hold back a wimper. Elizabeth covered her mouth with her hand and made an abnormal noise. "So," Sao Feng drawled out with mocking displeasure, "you come into my city, and betray my hospitality." Beth glanced about awkwardly. Meg glanced at Beth in turn.

"Sao Feng," Barbossa started, "I assure you, I had no idea--"

"That he would get caught!" Sao Feng cut him off in fury. The other pirates of Singapore in the room stood and approached the group menacingly. "You intend to attempt a voyage to Davy Jones Locker," Sao Feng stated, irritated, "but I cannot help but wonder, 'Why'?" Elizabeth looked around nervously. Meg rolled her eyes with a deep breath, then scrunched her nose for a brief moment, not enjoying the smell of sweat and moldy wood. Barbossa tossed a piece of eight to Sao Feng. As he caught it, Barbossa said, "The song has been sung. The time is upon us. We must convene the Brethren Court. As one of the nine pirate lords you must honor the call!" Ignoring Barbossa's important speech for the time being, Sao Feng muttered, "More steam," to the girl again. When none arrived, he repeated his demand much to the bewilderment of the slave girl.

"You think he'd just sit in a bath tub all day if he was really that dehydrated," Beth noted, leaning over to Meg. She smirked, covering it with her hand.

"There's a price on all our heads, it is true," Sao Feng began, "since it seems the only way a pirate can turn a profit anymore...is by betraying other pirates." he finished with a touch of contempt. Beth eyed him wondering exactly what he was trying to get at.

"...the first Brethren Court gave us rule of the seas. That rule has been challenged by Lord Cutler Beckett," Barbossa pointed out. Sao Feng scoffed. "Against the power of the East India Trading Company, what is the value of the Bretheren Court? What can any of us do?" he inquired doubtfully.

"Eh, you can fight...?" Meg butted in with a rather scarcastic attitude, receiving a dirty look from Barbossa. Seeing one of the guards coming for her, she moved ahead with a squeak. "You're Sao Feng, the pirate lord of Singapore, am I right? You command an age of piracy where bold captains sail free waters. Where waves aren't measure in feet, but as increments of fear, and those who pass the test become legend," Meg's voice waivered a little as she thought of Jack, "Do you want that era to come to an end while you're around? The most notorious pirates from around the world are uniting against our enemy...and what do you do? You sit here in your bath water, calling for 'more steam' all day!" Barbossa rolled his eyes, knowing that he'd have to clean up after Meg for the mess she just created.

"It's true," Beth added, backing her friend up and giving her a happy smirk.

"Glad you agree," Meg smiled at her best friend. Sao Feng sneered at Elizabeth Norrington, who merely mimicked the action, then turned his attention toward Meg. "Megan Owen," Meg stepped back.

"Er...you know me?"

Beth: ((You want to know me!!!! rofl))  
Meg: ((LOL))

Sao Feng had a pleasant smirk on his face as he approached her. "There is more to you than meets the eye, isn't there?" he paused and circled Meg, "And the eye does not go wanting." Beth furrowed her brow and her mouth hung open for a moment as she stared at Sao Feng with complete disgust.

"Dang Meg," she said, "what is with you and attracting old, wrinkly men?" Barbossa glared at the girl.

"I'm cool!" Beth held up her hands in defense. If it weren't for the fact that Beth was right and in the current curcumstaces, Meg would have laughed. However, she felt very awkward in that moment...hoping Sao Feng would just go away.

Returning to his original position in the focal point of the room, Sao Feng continued. "But I cannot help but notice...you have failed to answer my question. What do ye seek in Davy Jones Locker?"

"Jack Sparrow," Will immediately supplied with conviction.

"You just have to blurt it out, don't you?" Beth muttered angrily, briefly grasping Meg's shoulder and looking at her pityingly. Meg looked at her feet. Thinking about Jack didn't make her cry anymore, but the mention of his name caused something to pull on her heartstrings a little.

"It's okay," she murmured.

"The only reason," Sao Feng fumed, "I would want to bring Jack Sparrow from the land of the dead...is so I can send him back myself!" The man kicked a pot in his wrath. Meg and Beth both glared at the pirate lord for his statement.

"Jack Sparrow holds one of the nine pieces of eight. He failed to pass it along to a successor before he died. So we must go and get him back," Barbossa explained.

"You know," Meg murmured to Beth. "I bet Jack didn't give it to me or anyone because he wanted to ensure himself getting out of the locker..."

"Yeah I was just contemplating that recently. Amazing how he plans so far ahead,"

Suddenly Sao Feng noticed that the dragon tattoo sweating off the back of a man in front of him, who he had supposed was one of his own. Now he supposed the man was in Barbossa' crazy band.

"So," he said again, for he liked so say 'so', "you have deceived me..." There was a moment of silence in which the party stood confused. "Weapons!" Sao Feng exclaimed and immediately tens of pirates burst forth from the bath tubs with swords and other merciless metal equipment. Barbossa raised his arms.

"Sao Feng, I assure you, our intentions are strictly honorable!" Suddenly, swords came flying out of the floorboards and landed in our heros' hands. Barbossa looked at them confused for a moment and then offered a guilty smile. Beth just stood there dumbfounded that she actually caught both of her cutlasses without hurting herself. Seeing that the group opposite was now armed, Sao Feng seized the men whom he assumed was one of them and threatened him with his favorite spike.

"Drop your weapons, or I'll kill the man!" he commanded. Barbossa looked at the others, confused.

"Kill him, he's not our man!"

"If he's not with you," Will expanded, "and he's not with us...who's he with?" Beth glanced at him and a quick terror seized her. Seemingly appearing from nowhere, East India Trading Company soldiers invaded the room, shooting people with rifles and such, causing an epic fight to erupt. Elizabeth called to Will, throwing him a sword, which he readily accepted and freed himself from the wooden pole that he was attached to. Once free, Will began a serious beat-down upon the redcoats. Beth ran around in a frenzy, slicing people and laughing maniacally, causing her enemies to be horribly distracted. This turned into a pattern: laugh, distract, slice, laugh, distract, etc. Meg ran after Beth, hacking any men that Beth had missed before her, picking on a few of her own Gibbs and the rest of the crew came up out of the hole cause by an explosion and attacked alongside everyone as well, running out into the streets of Singapore.

A little while later, Sao Feng managed to catch Will and pin him against a wall.

"It is an odd coincidence that the East India Trading Company finds me the day you show up in Singapore," he said menacingly

"It is coincidence only," Will refuted, putting a dagger to the pirate lord's throat. "If you want to make a deal with Beckett," Mr. Turner continued, "you need what I offer."

"You cross Barbossa." Sao Feng objected, "You're willing to cross Jack Sparrow. Why should I expect any better?"

"I need the Black Pearl to free my father." Will cajoled, drawing back the dagger, "You're helping me to get it."

After the excitement had died down dramatically, our heroes gathered on the main docks, all of them surprised to see Will approaching them with the navigational charts.

"You got the charts?" Barbossa questioned.

"And better yet," Will replied, throwing the charts to Barbossa, "a ship and a crew." Beth eyed him suspiciously.

"You accomplished that very easily for a man with your lack of persuasion." she sneered. Before Will could make any attempt at a reply, Meg pried, "Where's Sao Feng?"

"He'll cover our escape and meet us at Shipwreck Cove," Will explained.

"This way, be quick!" said Tai Huang, who was now apparently a buddy.

----

Meg approached Tia, with Beth in tow, and said, "There's no place left for Sao Feng to cower...do you think he will honor the call?"

"I cannot say." Tia murmured, seemingly distracted. "There is an evil on these seas that even the most staunch and bloodtirsty pirates have come to fear..." Meg could only imagine she meant Beckett's control over Davy Jones.

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**Okay, looking for a bit of help. What is the thing that Sao Feng uses to almost stab Will with? I knew the name of it a while back, but I can't remember it... Anywhosit, if you know what it's called, please PM me or review here! Thanks!**


	2. At World's End

**Thank you all so much for the reviews! Beth and I were so excited to see that our fans are still around and were able to find me on my new pen-name! Rum and Christmas cookies to you all!**

**DISCLAIMER: You know all this crap, we've been doing it for the past 4 stories...but we don't own the script or the Disney characters...only Beth, Meg and our own ideas. w00t!**

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Meg, curled up in the little shelter area on the center of the small ship known as the Hai Peng ((I know its name is something like that)) on a sort of cot with her coat, cloak and a heavy blanket. She tried to sleep, though the cold kept her awake. Barbossa was at the rudder, sailing them through the icy waters.

"No one said anything about cold," Pintel complained, shivering in his coat.

"I'm sure," began Ragetti, "that there must be a good reason for our suffering." Beth gave him a quizzical look and muttered, "And you call yourself a pirate?" She fidgeted in her cover awkwardly as Pintel continued on his happy rant.

"Why don't that obeah woman just bring back Jack the same way she brought back B- Barbossa?" he stuttered in a most frustrated manner.

"Because Barbossa was only dead," Tia Dalma expounded abruptly. "Jack Sparrow is taken, body and soul, to a place not of death, but punishment! The world fate a person can bring upon himself." There was a meaningful pause. "Stretching on forever. That's what awaits at Davy Jones' Locker." Beth glanced at Meg, who's despondency had not significantly lessened at all since Jack's death.

"I knew there was a good reason," Ragetti murmured to Pintel who grimaced.

Meanwhile, Will was studying the navigational charts and spinning the little circles round and round ((like a merry-go-round!)) to find certain word combinations.

"Nothing here is set," the young man noted, "These can't be as accurate as modern charts."

"No, but it leads to more places," Tai Huang pointed out.

Meg looked around, trying to distract herself from gloomy thoughts. Suddenly she noticed an Asian man playing with his toe. She let out a gasp as he accidentally broke it off. Apparently Beth had noticed it too.

"Holy...um...crap," Meg's cohort said with furrowed brows. "I hope it grows back..." Meg rolled her eyes.

Will suddenly found something of interest on the charts. "'Over the Edge...Over Again'", he read, "Sunrise Sets...Flash of Green."

"What the heck does that mean?" Beth mused. Meg's eyes focused upon the charts as she moved to the spot where Will stood. Beth, of course, followed her. "It's another truth to pass into legend." They all approached Barbossa.

"Do you care to interpret, Captain Barbossa?" Will asked with a certain level of annoyance. The 30 below temperatures made everyone bitter. Barbossa smirked and faced partially towards the curious company.

"Every gazed upon the Green Flash, Mr. Gibbs?" he said, squinting his eyes.

"I reckon I seen my fair share," Gibbs replied proudly. "It happens on rare occasion. At the last glimpse of sunset, a green flash of light shoots up into the sky." The man paused, obviously coming to a climax. "Some go their whole lives without seeing it, others claim to have seen it that ain't. Some say-"

"It signals when a soul comes back to this world...from the dead!" Pintel supplied. Gibbs shot him an indignant glare. Pintel immediately apologized.

"Trust me, Master Turner," Barbossa slurred, "its not gettin' to the land of the dead that's the problem. It's gettin' back."

Beth's eyes narrowed upon the captain at this statement. Leaning towards Meg she murmured, "Well um...that could indeed end badly."

"Let's hope not," Meg responded with a nervous chuckle.

----

A while later, Elizabeth was leaning against the rail staring out to sea. Will approached from behind and asked solemnly, "How long do we continue not talking?" The young woman seemed agitated as she responded.

"Once we rescue Jack everything will be fine."

"When we rescue Jack?" Will seemed puzzled. Elizabeth took a hasty exit, only to bump into Beth and stalk past her. After the collision, the brunette stared at Will and smiled pityingly. He shunned her with a cruel frown and Beth left the situation to look for Meg...who had recently become her way of escaping every awkward situation.

"For what we want most," Tia remarked sharply to Will, "there is a cost must be paid in the end." Mr. Turner stared at her almost angrily as the mysterious woman directed her gaze towards Beth. Will immediately sought a way to distract himself, noticing Tia's necklace and remembering from his adventures aboard the Dutchman, Davy Jones had one that looked just like it. However it didn't take long before an unintentional distraction presented itself. Will sensed something was very wrong.

"Barbossa!" he called. "Ahead!" Barbossa nodded. He already knew. He did not need to be informed by the whelp.

"Aye," he said with confidence. "We're good and lost now..."

"Um...lost?" asked Meg, approaching.

"For certain you have to be lost to find the places can't be found. Else ways, everyone would know where it was," Meg shrugged and turned to Beth, acting just as casual as Barbossa.

"Makes sense..." Beth was not as calm.

"Makes sense except- WHAT THE CRA-!" she girl was startled by an unusual acceleration. Gibbs confirmed it, as did Barbossa.

"To station!" Will shouted, summoning all attention to himself with wild gestures. "All hands, to stations! Hard to port, gather way!"

"Nay! Belay that!" called Barbossa, "Let her run straight and true!"

"Blimey!" Pintel exclaimed, his eyes fixed upon a foreboding stretch of water before them. It was foreboding because there was nothing beyond it.

"Holy crap! It's a...um- waterfall!?" Beth shouted to Meg.

"No DUH!" Meg shouted back, hanging on for dear life.

"You've doomed us all!" Elizabeth accosted Barbossa. "Don't be so unkind," he soothed. "You may not survive to pass this way again, and these be the last friendly words you'll hear." As he finished this statement, Barbossa seized Elizabeth's face in his hand and proceeded to squish it. Meg squee-ed as she recognized the quote from the ride before she and Beth simultaneously cocked their heads to one side upon witnessing the strange occurrence. Then, snapping back into reality, everyone braced themselves for a long fall.

"HOLD ON!" Will shouted as the ship began to tumble off the cliff. Barbossa let out his trademark cackle as they plunged over the End of the World.

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**I apologize that this chapter is short...the third chappie should be longer as soon as I finish writing the beginning of it. XD Anywhosit, please R&R and I'll get the third chapter up as soon as I finish it!!! (Which will be soon because I've gotten the motivation to write again, with the help of Bethykins!)**


	3. Davy Jones' Locker

**I'd like to thank ScarletRosePetal and CaptainJacksBabe for the reviews! Rum and cookies! This is the last chapter I have for the moment, so hopefully Bethykins and I can write again sometime soon!**

**DISCLAIMER: Yeah, we don't own it. **

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"My peanut…" the real Jack said to the dead body of the other Jack. He continued walking about the still deck of the Black Pearl, making sure everything was going in order. Multiple Jacks were running about the ship, acting as crew members for the real Captain. Stepping below deck for a moment, Jack noticed many of his "crew" in the sleeping quarters, their attention all on something. Coming over to make sure they were not gambling instead of attending to their duties, Jack found a hallucination of Meg, and all of the Jack's were seemingly fighting over her, and trying to woo her. Grasping the arm of the female hallucination and pulling her out of that mess, Jack brought her up on deck. "Meg" hung on his arm like a giddy school girl. 

"Slacken braces!" called Jack. Another cried, "Aye, captain!" and repeated the order, to which calls of "Step lively! With a will!" "Aye, aye," and "Right away, sir," resounded.

"I want a fire down below!" shouted another "Jack". One was lying on the deck murmuring, "Help."

"Man the yards, you filthy toads,"

One Jack acted like a chicken, even laying an egg. The real Jack, with the hallucination of Meg on his arm still, walked through. "She" peered at the Jack trying to woo a goat.

"Haul!" shouted six more Jack from above.

"Haul the sheets handsomely, boys. Scandalize the lateens,"

"Aye, sir,"

"Right away, sir,"

The real Jack walked through the crowds, "Meg" disappearing again. He spotted one sailor doing his job with a tack line. "Mr. Sparrow?" said the real Jack.

"Aye, cap'n," returned "Mr. Sparrow".

"What say you about the condition of this tack line?"

"It be proper to my eyes, sir,"

"Proper?" Jack approached and undid the line as he lectured, "It is neither proper nor suitable, sir. It is not acceptable nor adequate. It is, in obvious fact, an abomination," Jack threw the ropes at "himself". The other Jack seemed nervous but tried to right his actions.

"Begging your pardon, sir, but if you gave a man another chance-"

"Shall I?" annoyed, Jack pulled out his cutlass and ran the other man through. "It's that sort of thinking got us into this mess." Jack murmured in the other's ear as he breathed his last breath.

Addressing the other Jacks and wiping off his cutlass on the rail of the Pearl, Jack said, "We have lost speed and, therefore, time. Precious time, which cannot be recovered once lost. Do you understand?"

"Aye, aye, captain!"

"Do you now?" he spun around, doubting them all...which would be the equivalent of doubting himself…anyway, Jack continued with his lecture. "It will all have to be redone. All of it!" The other Jacks seemed to fade away, but Jack still believed he spoke to them. "And let this serve as a lesson to the lot of you. Doldrums, sir, has the entire crew on edge." Jack began walking about the deck talking to those who could not be seen any longer. "I have no sympathy for any of you feculent maggots, and no more patience to pretend otherwise." He ran and jumped up onto the rail, taking a rope in hand. "Gentlemen, I was my hands of this weirdness." He slid down the rope and landed on his feet on the barren land.

It was a desolate place that stretched on for miles. He tested for any wind. Nothing.

"No wind," Jack scoffed. "of course there's no bloody wind! My soul, I do swear for a breeze…and Meg…maybe Meg and then a breeze…" he babbled as he walked around. "Gust. Whisper. A tiny, miniature lick. And a kiss from me girl." He sniffed, noticing a rock. He picked it up. Randomly, he threw it as far as it could go. Walking away from the spot, Jack continued babbling. "Yes, sir, I know, but why? Why would he do that? Because he's a lummox, isn't he? Meg wouldn't think so. Still, we shall have a magnificent garden party and you're not invited. Meg is though. Hoo!" he giggled. Suddenly, even after walking away towards the bow of the ship, Jack turned and noticed the same rock. "Shoo," he said, waiving it away. Picking it up once more, he examined it. "A rock," he stated before licking it. Decided it did not taste good, he became angry and threw it again. Little did he know, it was really a crab, a crab, by the name of Michelangelo. "Now we're being followed by rocks. Never had that before," he walked to the bow once again. "Oh! A rope," he pulled on it and a length of rope fell before him. Jack decided to see if he could pull the Black Pearl across the sands. To no avail, he fell backwards in defeat, closing his eyes. Images of his life on the seas and his adventures with Meg and her sidekick floated through his mind.

Suddenly, he noticed shadows moving over his face and opened his eyes. The Black Pearl was moving! Even more peculiar was _HOW_ it was moving. Crabs, thousands of crabs, were moving it! Jack stood up and watched in awe for a moment. Then suddenly, he began running after it, and climbed on, feeling very triumphant.

----

The crew of the former Hei Peng washed up on the shore of a deserted land. Stumbling over each other, Meg helped Beth through the waves, as everyone gathered upon the shore. Meg seemed to have a bit more spirit than the rest, her eyes scanning the sandy place for a sign of her Captain.

"This truly is a Godforsaken place," Gibbs muttered, water dripping from his scraggly hair.

"I don't see Jack," stated Elizabeth. Meg shot her a glare. Oh how she wished to maul the blond bimbo, for lack of a better term.

"He's here," Barbossa broke the tension. "Davy Jones never once gave up that what he took..."

"It doesn't matter," Will spat, casting a hateful glance at Barbossa, "We're trapped here by your own doing, no different than Jack."

"Well that does put a damper on things," Beth sighed.

"At least Jack's here though..." Meg stated, seeming to be the only slightly hopeful one other than Barbossa.

"Yes, even if we're trapped here...at least there's Jack..." Beth replied, smiling at her friend. Holding a crab in her hand, Tia Dalma said slowly, "Witty Jack is closer than you think..."

"What-where?!" Meg said excitedly. She calmed down after receiving glares.

Suddenly, a loud rustling sound became apparent, and the party stood in astounded awe as they witnessed the Black Pearl being moved by a copious amount of crabs over a sand dune. Captain Jack Sparrow stood on the mast of his ship as the crabs carried it to the sea. Beth gawked at the sight.

"Do my eyes deceive me..." she began, blinking repeatedly, "or is that a wave of crabs?" Tears freely fell from Meg's eyes as she watched Jack triumphantly ride on the sand on the wave of crabs.

After his ship was safely back on the sea, Jack swung down and approached the group on shore. Bolting from her spot by Beth's side, Meg ran across the beach to meet Captain Jack Sparrow. She did not slow as she approached, but tackled him, hugging him, throwing them both back upon the sand. Will and Beth exchanged awkward glances and watched with quizzical expressions. Jack gently pushed Meg off of him and stood up uneasily. Pulling the surprised woman to her feet, he said sincerely, "I miss you too love, but I'm dead." As he swaggered towards the rest of the crew, Meg ran after him, making strange panicked noises. Pintel, recognizing Jack scurried towards him and yelled, "It's the Captain!"

"Jack!" Beth exclaimed with a giddy laugh as she quickly followed Pintel. Meg continued following after Jack.

"Dead?" she whimpered.

"Slap me thrice and hand me to me momma, it's Jack!" cried Gibbs, also running forward. "A sight for sore eyes! Jack!"

"Mamma?" Beth mused as Gibbs passed her.

"Mr. Gibbs!" Jack began gruffly, still ignoring poor Meg.

"Aye, Captain," Mr. Gibbs replied to the stern sounding Sparrow.

"I thought so." the Captain quickly replied with an indignant blaze in his optics, "I suppose your able to account for your actions then."

"Sir?"

"There has been a perpetual and virulent lack of discipline aboard my vessel! Why is that, sir?" Jack demanded, growing steadily more menacing. Beth stiffed at his coldness. Meg too looked up confused at Jack.

"You're in Davy Jones' locker, Captain," Gibbs said in a softer voice. Jack paused for a moment, seeming a little more calm.

"I know that," he said, "I know where I am. And don't think that I don't"

"Jack Sparrow," interrupted Barbossa. Captain Sparrow's soured mouth immediately broadened into a smile.

"Ah, Hector," he addressed Barbossa, "it's been too long hasn't it?"

"Hector?" Beth echoed, smirking at Meg. Sending a slightly quizzical look over to Beth, Meg also began smirking.

"Aye," continued "Hector", "Isla de Muerta, remember? You shot me," He folded his arms across his chest. Jack's eyes glanced uncomfortably back and forth for a brief moment.

"No I didn't," he denied with an innocent grin. "Tia Dalma," he continued, waltzing over to her, "Out and about, eh? You lend an agreeable sense of the macabre to any delirium." Beth at this point, was extremely puzzled, and also bothered that she didn't know what 'macabre' meant. How did Jack have such a good vocabulary anyway?

Meg still trailed behind Jack like a neglected puppy.

"He thinks we're a hallucination," Will explained suddenly, frowning at Jack.

"William tell me something." Jack approached him. "Have you come because you need my help to rescue a certain distressing damsel? Or rather, a damsel in distress? Either one?" The captain eyed the young man belittlingly.

"No," stated Will with defiance.

"Then you wouldn't be here, would you?" Jack mocked. "So you can't be here. Q.E.D: you're not really here!"

"Jack," Beth said with a pleading look in her eyes, "this is real. We're here." Captain Sparrow contemplated this possibility for a moment, eyeing Meg's companion warily. He leaned over to Gibbs and whispered, "The locker, you say?"

"Aye,"

"We've come to rescue you..." Meg said in a hurt voice.

"Have you, now?" Jack seemed almost annoyed by the generous proposal. Suddenly he glanced at Meg again. As he decided to believe that the crew was really there, a realization reached Jack: Meg was really there...standing...staring...at him.

Swiftly coming towards her, the Captain gathered his love in his strong arms and kissed her passionately. Will and Beth exchanged another set of awkward glances. Elizabeth glared at the latter. Coming apart from the liplock, Jack exclaimed, "Oh, you have no idea how I've missed you!" Beth noted the rather disgruntled look on Meggie's face from being squished. However, Meg's face soon broke into a smile, and once again tears welled up in her eyes, only these ones were much happier.

Jack kissed the girl again and Barbossa coughed in an attempt to alert the Captain. The former turned around in frustration, his arm dangling around Meggie's waist. "As for the rest of you," Jack began, staring them all down, except Meg of course, "Seeing as I possess a ship and you don't, it seems as though you're the ones in need of rescuing and I'm not sure as I'm in the mood."

"Oh, come on!" Beth exploded, "At least we made the effort!"

"I see my ship," Barbossa said, looking out to see and pointing at the Black Pearl. "Right there..." Jack, with his arm still around Meg, walked a few feet in the direction in which Barbossa had pointed and used his other hand to shield his eyes. He seemed to be looking for something.

"Can't spot it," he finally confessed with a grimace, "must be a little tiny thing hiding somewhere behind the Pearl." Jack smirked at Meg. Beth rolled her eyes at Barbossa. Meg smiled back.

At this point, Will decided to end the petty banter. "Jack," he began forcefully, "Cutler Beckett has the heart of Davy Jones-"

"Thank you, Norrington." Beth interjected. "So he controls the ocean, now," she frowned acridly.

"And the Flying Dutchman!" Elizabeth explained.

"He's taking over the seas..." Meg murmured.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I meant," Beth corrected.

"The song has already been sung," added Tia Dalma reverently, "The Brethren Court is called." Jack rolled his eyes and stalked away from them.

"Leave you people alone for a minute and look what's happened? Everything's gone to pot." He ridiculed.

"It wasn't my fault," Beth stated, raising a hand in defense.

"Well that's new, at least," The young woman frowned at Jack.

"So I'm included in those to take that blame?" Meg wondered aloud.

"No love, of course not," Jack immediately defended her.

"Jack, the world needs you back something fierce," Gibbs encouraged, bringing up the original topic.

"And you need a crew," Will pointed out. Wheeling about, Jack inquired, "Why should I sail with any of you? Four of you have tried to kill me in the past, one of you succeeded," He pointed at Elizabeth with a malicious grin. Mr. Turner looked at her in surprise. Beth and Meg also turned their eyes upon Swann...but with glares, not surprise.

"Oh,' Jack drawled out, smirking, "she's not told you? You'll have loads to talk about while you're here." Beth sighed, and, folding her arms, said mournfully, "And this is why I really wish I had an anchor that I could tie her to and through it into the bay."

"Don't we all wish that?" Meg shook her head.

Ignoring the girls' happy thoughts, Jack turned to Tia Dalma. "As for you..."

"Now," she protested, "don't tell me you didn't enjoy it at the time,"

"Er...enjoyed what?" Meg whispered.

"In the past, Meg," Jack dodged her question and began to evaluate the rest of the crew. He admitted Tia Dalma and passed Ragetti. "Don't need you, you scare me." Ragetti seemed sad. "Gibbs, you can come. Marty. Cotton...Cotton's parrot. I'm a little iffy, but at least I'll have someone to talk to." Beth glanced quizzically at Meg and she looked back just as quizzically. "Meg, of course," Jack continued, grinning at her, "...and your giddy problematic little side-kick." he looked at Beth pityingly and asked, "How goes the love triangle, Miss Norrington?" Beth was rather taken aback.

"Ummm...better? I'm still recovering from all the random kissing trauma," she teased with a toss of her auburn curls.

"Then I'll just pat you," Jack replied, patting Beth's head. Will glared at Beth for a second.

Spotting Tai Huang, Jack approached him suspiciously. "Who are you?"

"Tai Huang," he nodded to the men behind him. "These are my men."

"Where do your allegiances lie?" Jack questioned.

"With the highest bidder,"

"I have a ship," Jack smiled as he indicated the Black Pearl.

"That makes you the highest bidder," the man returned with a hint of a smile.

"Good man," Captain Sparrow nodded. "Weigh anchor, all hands, prepare to make sail!" Jack announced. The crew immediately hurried to the ship. Taking out his compass, Jack appeared puzzled. The needle spun continuously. The man shut it in frustration.

"Jack," came Barbossa's voice behind him, holding onto Sao Feng's charts. "Which way ye goin', Jack?" Looking up at Jack's concerned face, Meg turned to Barbossa.

"Well, first, he's coming this way with me while everyone else prepares to cast off," she decided pulling on Jack's arm. Beth, anticipating the intimate moment, slipped away quietly and followed the crew to the ship.

Once they were the only two on land, Jack asked, "Meg, what are you up to?" he smirked devilishly down at his woman.

Beth: ((gosh Meg just make out with him already! lol jk))

She smirked back and then hugged him innocently.

"I just missed you, is all..." She contemplated letting go and running off to the ship with a playful glance behind her, but she did not have the guts to...she wanted to stay as close to Jack as she could for a few moments before all hell broke loose in the world. Jack sighed in contentment as he wrapped his arms around the beautiful young woman.

"I love you," he murmured in her ear. Tilting her face up to his, the man pressed his lips to hers, no longer holding back the love that had tormented him.

Upon coming apart, Captain Sparrow sensuously rubbed his hands along Meg's back. She stiffened, but giggled happily. Jack raised his eyebrows.

"And I love loving you,"

* * *

**I wish we could have done better with the "steamy kisses" but Beth protests that the "sensuous back rubbing" makes up for it all... XD Sooo happy that Jack's back in the story. Lol Anywhosit, please R&R...I'm looking to get quite a few because Jack's back once again!!!**


	4. Out of Apples

**I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed (throws everyone cookies and rum) and I'd also like to apologize for my lack of updating. School, Christmas...yeah. Anyway, Beth wrote this one (I came up with the chapter title Lol), so credit goes to her! By the by, for those who were expecting a steamy Meg and Jack reunion, don't worry, we have something up our sleeves for later!!!**

** Disclaimer: WE OWN NOTHING BUT OUR IDEAS AND CHARACTERS! **

* * *

Once aboard the Pearl, everyone began to get situated, and the war for domination began between Jack and Barbossa.

"Trim that sail!" Barbossa yelled. Jack repeated the command.

"Slack windward brace and sheet!" Sparrow echoed again.

"Haul that pennant line!"

"Haul that pennant line!" Meg and Beth followed the conversations with their heads.

"What ARE you doing?" Barbossa demanded of a bewildered Jack.

"What are YOU doing?!"

"No, what ARE you doing?"

"What are YOU doing!"

"What ARE they doing?" Beth interjected to Meg who laughed.

"No, what ARE you doing?!" Barbossa seemed to be bordering exasperation.

"What are YOU doing? Captain gives orders on the ship!"

"The captain of this ship is giving orders!" the man with the brimmed hat retaliated. Jack, Meg, and Beth all frowned.

"My ship makes me Captain." Captain Sparrow stated with pride. Barbossa glared at him.

"They be my charts!" Beth and Meg waited for Jack to reply.

"That makes you…'Chart Man'!" Jack gesticulated wildly and soon Pintel arrived on the scene, his face wrinkling with fury.

"Stow it!" he bellowed viciously, "The both of you! That's an order! _Understand?!?!"_ Jack, Barbossa, Meg, and Beth all stared at him in appalled silence. "Sorry," the pirate quickly apologized, "I just thought with the captain issue being in doubt, I'd throw my name in for consideration. Sorry." Jack and Barbossa glanced at each other then raced up the stairs to the helm. Beth shook her head at Pintel and stalked past him towards the crow's nest.

"I'd vote for ye," Ragetti encouraged.

"Yeah?" replied Pintel, still shaken from getting stared down by the elite four on the ship. Meg rolled her eyes and followed Beth. Suddenly the girl in front of her halted and Meg bumped into her. The former's eyes were fixed intently upon a young man who had just meandered below deck. Amid the commotion, Beth pivoted around nonchalantly, only to find Meg staring at her with raised eyebrows.

"Where are you going?" she asked with a suspicious smirk.

"To get an apple," Beth hastily supplied. Meg scoffed and stepped out of the way, watching her friend follow after Will.

"Don't hurt yourself," the older girl called after her friend. Looking back towards Jack, she smiled as she spotted him trying to show off his spyglass. Unfortunately, Barbossa's was obviously larger. Meg waved to Jack and he, although hurt by the humiliation, turned the spyglass in her direction and jokingly pointed a dirty finger at her. His love posed alluringly.

Meanwhile, as one couple was thriving, another was being tested below deck. Beth had hidden herself at the top of the stairs to listen with mournful ears as Will spoke with Elizabeth.

"You left Jack to the Kraken?" the handsome man murmured.

"He's rescued now, it's done with." Will was not so sure.

"Will, I had no choice," Elizabeth defended herself. Mr. Turner stared in any direction other than hers.

"You chose not to tell me,"

"I couldn't! It wasn't your burden to bear…" Elizabeth stood resolutely, looking at him with a touch of annoyance. She thought his protective nature a little prying.

"But I did bear it, didn't I?" He suddenly asked, turning around to face her, "I just didn't know what it was," Will seemed deeply hurt.

"You thought I loved him," Elizabeth realized aloud, gazing into his eyes with amazement. It didn't seem such an impossible thought from what Beth had witnessed before the blonde had chained Jack to the mast.

"If you make your choices alone," Will began, looking deeply into Elizabeth's eyes, "how can I trust you?"

There was a pause. The young woman stared up at him with mixed distrust and spite as she whispered,

"You can't…" Elizabeth quickly tore away and ascended the stairs, leaving a very confused William Turner standing below, wondering what on earth had just happened. Stifling a panicked cry of alarm, Beth scooted quickly out of the angry woman's way and followed her with her gaze. Hearing a sigh from Will below deck, she decided to confront him once and for all.

As Elizabeth Norrington descended the wooden stairs, Will turned around and spotted the young woman just as she was folding her arms.

"Great, you too," Will said, approaching her menacingly, "So you heard all of that?"

"Will," Beth began shaking her head in disappointment, "I just want to know one thing. How long are you going to keep toying with me?"

"I never meant to hurt you-"

"First, you ditched me and actually became engaged to someone else;" she spat, lifting her face defiantly into Will's and striking an index finger, "Then you kissed me out of the clear blue with no explanation whatsoever; now you're talking to her like you want to make everything work out. The only way you could hurt me more at this point is by keeping the tension. Stop pretending and make up your mind!" As the young woman ranted, she paced about the little room, flinging her hands in the air in frustration. Will immediately became defensive.

"I wasn't pretending when I kissed you, was I?" he asked with a flirtatious glare ((it's possible)). Beth did not know whether to throw something at him or laugh, so she simply scoffed indignantly. Will continued,

"As I tried to erase you from my mind, I realized I still loved you…I never stopped loving you."

The young woman seemed irresolute after this statement, but was still too suspicious to actually believe anything Will was trying to communicate.

"So you say," she narrowed her eyes, "Unfortunately for you, you're not the only one." Beth approached him with a mocking smile. "It looks like you, Elizabeth, Norry and I are in a little bind. But the couples are becoming_quite_ apparent."

"Beth," Will pleaded loudly, "don't choose him."

"BETH!" the two heard suddenly, "Can you grab an apple for me too?"

"SURE, MEGGIE!" Beth yelled back and returned to Will.

"No!" she exploded, "You are not one to tell me who to love and what to do with my life. Go ahead, look into my eyes and tell me you don't love her." The young man remained silent and avoided her eyes by crossing to the other side of the room. Beth immediately spun around with and glared at him with venom. "Ah…you don't deny it,"

"I don't deny it," Mr. Turner confessed ((He just never stops confessing, does he?)) his soft brown eyes searching her cold hazels. "But you…Beth,"

"Our relationship is not so personal, sir. You may address me as Miss Norrington," Beth spat as she turned to leave.

"Or should I start calling you 'Mrs.'?"

Beth halted and eyed the man with fury.

"What do you have against him?" she demanded. There was an unforgettable pause.

"The fact that he loves you," Will murmured, "and that you're so calm about his leaving."

Miss Norrington's face softened as she thought of her second cousin.

"He's doing what he thinks he needs to do, then he'll join us again."

"OH!" Will mocked with a cynical smirk, "So you actually believe that the traitor will come back for you?" Beth remained silent, unsure herself of the answer to that question. "And will you take him?" the man opposite her continued, "After everything he'd done…do you love him?"

"I don't know yet." Beth quickly replied, eyeing Mr. Turner, "I might find myself in the near future falling in love with him." When nothing was spoken after that, the young woman sighed and turned to go upstairs, but Will seized her by the arm and jerked her close to him. She looked very displeased.

"I won't lose you to him," Will said with determination.

"APPLE??" Meg screamed again from above, completely ignorant of the intimate argument she was interrupting.

"IT'S COMING!!! IT'S A REALLY SLOW GROWER!" Beth yelled up the stairs. Will raised his eyebrows at Beth, who was trying to ignore the fact that what she had said was really quite idiotic.

"Will, you should focus less on trying to win my love," Beth reprimanded with a gentle hope in her eyes, "and more on proving your own. Norrington's love for me does not have an 'on or off' switch. I'm sorry I can't say the same for you." Will appeared to be on the verge of a wrathful rage…and indeed he was.

"He kissed you once and said he loved you once, and now where is he? Gone! How is that unwavering love?" The young man scoffed and released her. Upon getting her arm back into its normal position, Beth used it to shove Will and accused him sharply.

"You didn't do much better!"

It seemed as though this realization had occurred to Will before, for he had a simply magnificent reply that nearly melted Beth's heart. Slowly walking over to her, he backed Beth into a wall and hovered over the confused girl.

"I could," he whispered, lifting a hand to her face, "if you gave me the chance." Will's mouth edged closer to meet Beth's lips. She didn't move…just stood there in dismay.

"Look into my eyes," he breathed down her neck and Beth obeyed, "and tell me you don't love me." Obviously, she didn't answer quickly enough, for he moved to kiss her passionately. Beth immediately dodged by sliding to the right and Will's forehead collided with the wooden wall.

"Mr. Turner," Beth concluded with a pitying smirk as he rubbed his head, "you are a good man and I do believe you loved me once." Will glanced at her with so much hope that Beth almost considered changing her words. "But you love Elizabeth. And true love conquers all I guess, even the middle man. Well, middle woman in this case." In the moment that followed, the woman glided to the stairs in a wave of graceful wrath. Will gazed at her in both anger and misery. Glancing behind her shoulder slightly, Beth murmured with resolution,

"I can't love you for that."

With that, Beth ascended the stair case, hoping to leave Will and his broken heart behind for good. After returning to the main deck, the young woman was greeted by Meg, who seemed puzzled.

"Um…were they out of apples?" Beth slapped her forehead and sighed.

* * *

**R&R please!!!! Also, again, credit goes to Bethykins! Hopefully we'll get back to writing soon!!!**


	5. Up is Down is Up is Down

**Holy Crap, can it be?! Meg and Beth are back? Yes, yes, I'm sorry for the absence...life, you know. ^^; Anyway, I had a bout of inspiration and decided I needed to continue writing this. Thank you for all the reviews while we've been gone! Enjoy this chappie!**

**DISCALIMER: Beth owns her self. I, Meg, own myself. We don't own anything PotC related. That's all Disney's. I promise.**

-=-=

That night [m&b: there was a mutiny!!], the men and women aboard the Black Pearl came across a chilling spectacle. Bodies of dead people floated by in the water and on boats. Elizabeth spotted her father, Governor Weatherby Swann [it's been too long!], in one of the boats. Although no one wanted to believe it, the man was indeed dead, and Elizabeth was devastated. Will comforted her while the rest went to go do something else to distract themselves. After all, other matters had to be addressed, such as- how the heck were they going to get back?!

While everyone around him dispersed, Jack remained on deck and stared out at the sky. He was confused. He hated being confused, and so he watched the darkness. Suddenly Jack's ears caught a noise behind him, but he didn't turn around.

Meg came up behind him and slipped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his back, closing her eyes with a sigh. Jack closed his eyes as well, putting his hands over hers.

"Hello, love," he whispered, actually pronouncing the 'h'.

"Hey," she murmured back. Jack's manner remained serious, as if in deep thought, so Meg asked, "…do you believe he's actually dead…?"

"'Course I do," he said, exhaling, "it's a real shame too. Poor Elizabeth. Even if she is a messy wench, you still have to pity her."

"Hmm," sighing again, Meg removed her arms and backed away silently. She felt a little odd having Jack speak to her about Elizabeth. She wanted nothing to do with her, and just the same, wanted to hear nothing of her. Jack turned around when he no longer felt Meg's touch and looked down at her quizzically.

"Somethin' wrong, Meg?"

"No," she partly lied, "Not really…why?"

"Because you let go…and that's unusual for you," he said with a smile as he reached for her waist. Meg stepped back, unsure. "…what's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong,"

"Yes there is,"

"No,"

"Mmhmm,"

Meg sighed. "Meh…alright, fine then…you know how I feel about her..."

"Her?" Jack raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, Eliza…beth," she stopped herself from calling her 'Elia-pukes'.

"Ah, yes, her," the captain thought for a moment. "You know what happened on the Pearl last time—"

"I know!" Meg threw her hands up in frustration. She sat down on the stairs, pulling her knees to her chest. "I know…" she said in a softer voice. Jack came and knelt in front of her.

"Is that all still bothering you?"

"I don't trust her, is all."

He chuckled. "There isn't anything wrong with her, you know,"

Meg scoffed. "Is that what all you men think?"

"Well, I…er…"

"Nevermind…" Meg got up. "Move, Jack."

"No,"

"Jack…just…." Sighing, she turned around and crossed to the other staircase, bounding down it and slipping away to a quiet place where she could sleep. Jack watched her go with sad eyes.

Soon the night passed, the wind died down, and everyone remained around the ship. Doldrums: evil things in the eyes of a sailor. The sun rose high over their heads, and slowly began to sink in the west. Meg was sulking near Beth after the spat with Jack the night before, but still stayed near him after not speaking to him for the day. Everyone lounged around, waiting. Gibbs and Pintel were complaining about the water and rum situations. Rum. Meg rolled her eyes. Just another thing that reminded her of Jack.

Across the deck, Tia Dalma made a grim statement about how they just might be stuck in the supernatural world forever.

"With no water," Gibbs observed, "forever looks to me arriving a might too soon."

Beth and Meg exchanged glances, the idea of death not favoring in their opinions.

"Why doesn't he do something?!" said Will impatiently as Ragetti was once again trying to retrieve his eye from Jack the Monkey (chasing him much in the same manner as he was running). Beth got up to follow Gibbs and Will as they discussed.

"There's no sense to it,"

"The green flash happens at sunset, right?" Beth asked.

"Aye, sunset, not sunrise," Gibbs corrected. "Over the edge..." he continued to grumble. "That's driving me over the bloomin' edge. Sunrises don't set!"

As they continued to murmur, grumble and discuss among themselves, Meg sighed and figured she'd forgive Jack. There was no sense being angry with him. As she approached, he was playing with the charts from Sao Feng.

"Jack, I-"

"Shh, shush," said he, putting a dirty finger to his lips, Ragetti's eye rolling across the table. He was playing with the circles, twisting different ones around, finding the ones Will had already discovered. However, he came across a new one. "'Up is down.'"

"What?" Meg peered over his shoulder. Beth came over quickly, seeing that something was afoot.

"...what? That's maddeningly unhelpful, isn't it?"

"Why are these things never clear?" Jack whined. He paused and then said, "What?"

"I didn't say anything," Beth replied.

"Come again?"

"Jack are you alright?" Meg put her hand on his shoulder.

"That's even more than less than unhelpful."

Meg and Beth looked at each other, each raising an eyebrow to each form a quizzical look.

"I love the sea,"

"Yes, we know that one...anything else?" Meg sighed, grinning as she finished the quote.

"I prefer rum. Rum's good."

Beth giggled. "Yes, yes it is."

"Once every ten years...but what about Meggie?"

Meg listened more closely, something about ten years, and her...

"Even longer, given the deficit of rum, and Meg..."

"What?" Meg squinted, trying to figure out what Jack was discussing with himself.

"Ohh! I like that!"

"Apparently he's come to a conclusion about something," Beth observed.

"Not sunset..." he turned the center piece of the map, so that the ship was pictured upside down. "Sundown! ...and rise!"

"Oh, that makes...sense?" Beth tilted her head looking at the charts and Jack sprung up.

"Up!" he shouted. "What's that?!" he cried pointing at the starboard side of the ship, running over to it. Beth and Meg looked at each other and then ran after him, as did many of the others. "What IS that?" Jack continued.

"What's what?" Beth asked.

"I don't know. What do you think?"

Meg shrugged, playing along.

"Where?" Gibbs asked.

"There!" Jack turned around, uttering odd noises as he looked across the sea at the port side. Beth, Meg, Will, Gibbs, and some others followed, confused. Back to starboard they ran, then back again to port. Elizabeth joined in, asking the obvious.

"Uh...toodleoo!" Jack answered before running back starboard. This continued back to port.

"He's rocking the ship..." Pintel said.

"We're rocking the ship!" Gibbs confirmed. Barbossa looked down at the charts, and upon seeing the upside down ship in the center and the phrase 'Up is Down', said, "Aye...he's on to it!"

"He's rocking the ship!" Pintel cried happily. Ragetti ran up to him with a rope.

"If we tie each other to the mast upside down, when the boat flips we'll be the right way up!"

"Time it with the swell!" Barbossa ordered as he went below deck. You could hear him proceed to order the crew members down there to cut the ropes holding the cannons and other cargo in place.

The crew continued running back and forth, the Pearl rocking more and more, side to side. Meg, not the best runner on earth, was finding it difficult, but pushed herself onward, pretending to chase after Jack. The ship started to rock even more, causing it to become more difficult to run to the opposite side. Everyone grabbed onto the rail when they reached the side, so they would not fall to the the other edge and fall off. However, they did lose a couple. Back to the other side. The cargo below crashed as it went back and forth. After they all grasped onto the rail again, the Black Pearl started tipping over.

"Now up...is down!" Jack stated, his voice sounding slightly unsure. The ship tipped all the way upside down, capsizing. Everyone held their breath as they went underwater. Will lost his grip and "fell" but he found some rope to hang onto, causing Beth to become less worried, even though she was still angry with him. Meg was running out of air. Finally the sun set in the supernatural world and water rushed from the top of the mast to the deck and the ship was right side up again.

-=-=-=-

**Tada! The more you review, the more motivated I am to write another chapter! Or finish in this case...yes, the next one is started. Hurry! Start reviewing! Even if it's just to say Hi! **


	6. Mushroom Cloud

**ZOMG look who it is! ... *pause* ... didn't we say that last time? *shrug* Anywhosit, yes, we're back together for a short period of time for the first time in about a year and a half. We have taken it upon ourselves to make some progress in this story (if not finish it) before the end of this visit. So, without further ado...VOILA!**

**DISCLAIMER: Beth owns Beth, Meg owns Meg, you know the drill.**

Coughing, the crew regained their footing, feeling the sea wind. Pintel and Ragetti were still upside down, Ragetti's plan failing. Gibbs cried out in joy.

"We're back!" Meg looked out at the horizon.

"This is sunrise..."

"That it is, Meggie," Jack put his arm around her, hugging her.

Suddenly, Barbossa pulled out his pistol at Jack. Meg ducked behind him. Will and Elizabeth each pointed one at Barbossa, and one and Jack. Jack pulled out yet another pistol and pointed it at Elizabeth. Beth and Meg each, too, pulled out a couple, pointing them at Elizabeth and Barbossa. Gibbs stood behind Barbossa, pointing his pistols at Barbossa and Will.

After a moment of silence, Barbossa started laughing, causing the others to laugh, putting down their pistols. However, the moment he stopped and shouted, "All right, then!" the pistols resumed their positions.

Barbossa continued, "The Brethren Court is gathering at Shipwreck Cove and, Jack, you and I are going. There'll be no arguing that point."

"I is arguing the point," Jack retorted. "If there's pirates gathering, I'm pointing my ship the other way."

Frustrated, Elizabeth pointed both of her pistols at Jack, causing Meg to wish she had an extra hand to point another gun at her. "The pirates are gathering to fight Beckett, are you're a pirate!" Jack pointed his guns at Elizabeth, and Will pointed his at Jack.

"Pirate or not," said he, "you're not running, Jack," Meg glared at him, Beth sighed.

"If we don't stand together, they'll hunt us down, one by one," Barbossa stated. Meg brushed against her favorite pirate.

"There'll be no one left but you,"

"Quite like the sound of that," Jack nudged her back. "Captain Jack Sparrow, the last pirate..."

"Aye," Barbossa stepped forward, turning one gun to Gibbs who advanced at his back. "And you'll be fighting Jones alone. How does that figure into your plan?"

"I'm still working on that,"

Beth rolled her eyes. "Of course you are, Jack. Do you ever think anything through?" He glanced at her, and then at Meg, then back to Barbossa.

"But I will not be going back to the Locker, Mate. You can count on that." Jack pulled the trigger on his gun, as if to shoot Barbossa, but nothing happened, only a loud click sounded. Everyone else tried theirs, and only clicks sounded around the deck.

"Wet powder," Gibbs explained. Jack gave a slight grin which soon faded into a frustrated look as Barbossa walked away. Meg pulled on his arm, holding him back from following the rest across the deck.

"Wait! We can still use them as clubs!" Pintel shouted, everyone ignoring him.

"Jack, I wanted to apologize..." Meg started, "I shouldn't have acted like I did-" Jack pulled her in and hugged her, saying nothing, and Meg did not continue. She knew she was forgiven.

Will pulled out the charts. "There's a freshwater spring on this island," he pointed. Beth raised an eyebrow, wondering how he knew. "We can resupply there, and get back to shooting each other later."

"Very funny, Will," Meg said.

"You lead the shore party, I'll stay here with my ship...and Meg's staying with me." Jack corrected.

"I'll not be leaving my ship in your command," Barbossa rejected.

"Why don't you both go ashore, and leave the ship in my command," Will suggested. "Temporarily. Of course. Er..."

"Right, because you certainly don't have any ulterior motive for wanting a ship," Beth muttered, still bitter about the conversation they had a day or so previous. Meg nodded and replied to her friend,

"He won't get away with it."

"Alright, let's go!" Barbossa nudged Jack, who shot him a 'don't touch me!' pout and they got into a dinghy along with Pintel, Ragetti, and a few other crew members. Elizabeth decided to go below deck, fed up with everyone's idiocy. Soon it was just Meg, Beth, and Will on the main deck.

"He's getting away with it!" Beth pointed (at nothing), and she and Meg shared a moment of gawking at Will, who smirked back.

An undetermined amount of time later, during which, Meg and Beth were probably talking about Will behind his back as he sulked in a corner, Meg suddenly leapt to her feet, ran to the railing and exclaimed:

"FWAH?" Beth was, of course, instantly at her side, staring intently at the horizon. Will also got up.

"It's uh, a ship. What seems to be the problem?"

"The problem, my dear Bethykins, is that THAT ship belongs to Sao Feng. Aaaaand it seems to be headed in our general direction." Both girls slowly rotated their heads to glare back at Will, who did not seem quite as surprised as they.

"Well holy friggin crap," Beth spat, obviously in Will's direction. Will still looked un-amused and uninterested. Beth drew herself from the rail and slowly approached him, narrowing her eyes. "You knew…this is why Sao Feng was so quick to help us. You made a little deal with him, didn't you?"

The young man was reluctant to answer and merely stared at her with stoic eyes.

"Didn't you, Will?" She pressed again. Meg watched, the pit of her stomach stirring with rage, and she murmured,

"He sold us out. Us for the damn ship."

"I did it because I had to," Will defended himself. The girls rolled their eyes simultaneously. "_Look. _All my life, I hardly knew my father. Now, all these years later, I discover he's alive, but I still can't be with him because he's a prisoner on the Dutchman." His dark eyes turned to Beth and he said with resolve, "It will all work out in the end- I'll make it work-I promise. Beth, please belie-

But Beth couldn't listen any longer. Her patience with the man had been wearing thin ever since he had been stupid enough to sell that fabulous ostrich feather hat two years ago. [Her anger, like a mushroom cloud, had begun small, but it gradually expanded, engulfing the ENTIRE OCEAN. XD] So she slapped him, with vigor, and Will was silent. He seemed frozen in shock, his head to one side. Beth glanced at the red mark of her hand on his cheek with satisfaction.

"Enough," She said quietly, "I'm through with believing you. I'm through with you." Their eyes met for an instant when Will turned back in surprise, then Beth walked away, disgusted. Will sighed and looked back at Meg, seemingly for consolation. She stood there, blinking for a few moments, then shrugged her shoulders and said,

"Well. You blew it." Will glared at her and retreated to the galley. Once alone on the main deck, Meg pivoted back to the rail and watched the foreign ship that loomed menacingly in the distance draw closer with ever passing moment. Her hazel eyes were alight with fire and her hair, along with her epic cape, blew majestically in the gale. In that dramatic moment, she drew her sword, not necessarily because she thought it would do any good, but because it just seemed like the thing to do.

By the time Jack returned with Barbossa and the others, Sao Feng had seized control of the Black Pearl. He came on board to discover Elizabeth, Meg, and Beth all in the arms of foreigners. Will was standing apart from them.

"Excellent work watching the ship, whelp," Jack said to Will.

"He did do a great job, didn't he?" Meg chimed in.

"Quite," Beth agreed, just as Sao Feng himself appeared from behind the crowd. Jack cowered slightly and pointed at Barbossa, saying,

"He's the captain." Barbossa rolled his eyes and said,

"Sao Feng, you showin' up here 'tis truly a remarkable coincidence."

"Jack Sparrow," Sao Feng drolled out, "You paid me great insult once…" Jack furrowed his brows.

"That doesn't sound like me," But his defense was interrupted by Sao Feng's fist making quite the impression upon his face. "Shall we just call it square, then?" Jack fondled his nose. Suddenly, Will addressed Sao Feng's crew:

"Release Elizabeth. She's not part of the bargain." Barbossa raised a brow.

"And what bargain be that?"

"The bargain of selling us out!" Meg yelled, struggling violently against her captors. Beth just stood calmly next to her in a daze and nodded.

"You heard Captain Turner," Sao Feng announced, "Release the skinny one."

"Ha. Bag o' bones," Meg whispered to Beth, who sporfled. "Wait…"

"Captain Turner?" She, Beth, and Jack inquired in unison. At this point, Gibbs piped up.

"Aye, the profidious rotter led a mutiny against us."

"Great word…profidious…" Beth nodded in approval, "But yeah, Will kinda sucks right now."

"I need the Pearl to free my father," Will again insisted, shooting a sad, yet angry glance in Beth's direction, "That's the only reason I came on this voyage."

"See?" Meg and Beth said in unison. Barbossa looked at them.

"Stop doing that," he said, seeming uncomfortable. "And stop interrupting." They rolled their eyes (in unison, for good measure). Meanwhile, Elizabeth finally realized Will had betrayed even her and whispered in a hurt voice,

"Why didn't you tell me you were planning this?"

"It was my burden to bear," he replied, coldly.

It was Jack's turn to roll his eyes and he threw up his hands in exasperation.

"_He _needs the Pearl. Captain _Turner _needs the Pearl! And you felt guilty," he began, motioning to Elizabeth. Then he turned to Barbossa and said in a disgusted voice, "And you and your Brethren Court! Did NO one come to save me just because they missed me?" Meg and Beth raised their hands as did a few other crew members and Jack the Monkey.

"I'm standing over there with them," Jack started going over and grasped Meg's hand. However, Sao Feng yanked him back by the shoulder and Jack took Meg with him.

"I'm sorry, Jack," the pirate lord said, "but there's an old friend who wants to see you first."

"I don't have any old friends, just new ones…and I don't like them very much…just this one." Jack held up Meg's hand.

"Ah…then your 'old friend' will be particularly pleased if you bring her along…" Sao Feng continued.

Beth looked out at sea and noticed a very large galleon.

"Crap!" she hissed.

"What?" Meg looked at her.

"That's the Endeavor! Beckett's ship!"

"Crap." Meg, Beth, and Jack said at the same time.

"Stop DOING that!" Barbossa groaned.

Once Jack was 'safely' aboard the Endeavor, things began to stir on the Black Pearl and everyone was getting this feeling that things were about to go not quite according to anyone's plan. Beckett's crew had infiltrated the Pearl, including good ol' Mercer, and Sao Feng was not pleased to see them.

"My men are crew enough," he protested to Mercer, who replied with no sympathy whatsoever,

"Company ship, company crew." This statement caught Will's attention and he seized Sao Feng's arm.

"You agreed the Black Pearl was to be mine!"

"And so it was." Everyone's eyes widened, realizing Will had just gotten totally double-crossed. Shocked and angry, he moved to strike Sao Feng. But before he could, one of Beckett's crewmen succor punched Will in the stomach and he crumpled to the deck in pain. Elizabeth gasped and tried to run after him as he was dragged away, but Beckett's men were holding her fast. More soldiers beat back Sao Feng's men and captured everyone. Meg writhed in the arms of a red coat and shouted to Sao Feng,

"Why are they doing this?" But he seemed just as bewildered as she was. So he turned to Mercer and said,

"Beckett agreed the Black Pearl was to be mine." Mercer smirked.

"Lord Beckett's not going to give up the only ship that can outrun the Dutchman, now is he?" Sao Feng stared after Mercer as he walked away, realizing that he had just gotten totally double-crossed.

"This is like the fourth double-crossing of the day!" Beth exclaimed. She would've slapped her forehead, had she not been captured and all that.

"Quadruple-crossing…?" Meg pondered, "Octuple?" Beth shrugged.

"It's a shame they're not bound to honor the Code of the Brethren, ain't it?" Barbossa asked Sao Feng, with a scheming gleam in his eye. "Because honor's a hard thing to come by nowadays." Sao Feng turned to him, frustrated.

"There's no honor in remaining with the losing side. Leaving it for the winning side, that's just good business."

"The losing side, you say?" pried Barbossa.

"They have the Dutchman, now the Pearl," Sao Feng spat, throwing up his hands. "And what do the Brethren have?"

"We have…Calypso," the other whispered in reply. Sao Feng did not seem impressed.

"Calypso," he harrumphed, "An old legend."

"No," Barbossa corrected, "the goddess herself, bound in human form. I intend to release her, but for that I need the Court." He fingered Sao Feng's necklace, "All the Court." Sao Feng narrowed his eyes on Barbossa, considering his words. Then his eyes turned to Meg and roamed her figure for a while. She stared back at him, puzzled.

"What are you proposing, Captain?" Sao Feng asked, turning his attention back to Barbossa.

"What be accepting, Captain?"

"The girl," Sao Feng nodded to Meg.

Meg's eyes widened. "What? Why me?" Beth looked to Meg, then to Sao Feng. She did not like where this was going.

"Whoa, hold on there," Beth began, jamming her elbow into her captor's stomach and wriggling free just so that she could hold her hands up for emphasis that she did not approve of this plan, "Meg's not a part of any bargain." She moved protectively in front of her friend, eyeing Sao Feng. He smirked.

"Out of the question," Barbossa agreed, with no actual opinion on the matter.

"It was not a question," Sao Feng pointed out, moving closer to Beth, who was still in front of Meg. The girl stared back at him with a clenched jaw and defiant eyes. Meg did not want anyone to get hurt, and she knew Sao Feng was going to take her whether anyone objected or not, so she stated loudly,

"Done." Her captor released her.

"What? NOT done!" Beth whirled around to face Meg. "Are you out of your mind? It's like asking to get molested!"

"I have no choice but to go with him," Meg reasoned with her friend. "He and Beckett are up to something and I can't figure out what it is unless I can talk with him alone. If this is the only way I can help Jack, so be it. You know I won't let anything happen."

"So do we have an accord?" Barbossa's voice rang out.

Suddenly Sao Feng shoved Beth out of the way and he leaned close to Meg and whispered,

"Do we have an accord?" Meg looked up at him with brave eyes, determined to cloak any of the fear lurking in her heart. She nodded slowly.

"Oh hell," Beth muttered, getting up off the deck, "I'm coming too." Meg shook her head vehemently and mouthed lots of words of protestation at Beth, but she ignored them. Sao Feng glowered at Beth momentarily for her impudence, but then his gaze softened. He personally wanted nothing to do with her, but he figured his crew deserved some entertainment that night.

"Agreed. Swann also." Elizabeth glared at Beth, who smiled innocently back at her. Will was all up in arms immediately, but there was nothing he could do. Soon both of the Elizabeths were seized by Sao Feng's men, who would escort them to his ship. But Beth glanced behind her shoulder to offer a comforting smile to Meg, who returned it. Then it was time to go the dingy.

"If these pirates don't make you regret this idiocy, I will," Elizabeth said to Beth, refusing to look at her. Beth sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Don't push me, Swann. I'm the only chance you've got of getting out of this mess with your virginity." Several of the pirates looked back at Beth with quizzical expressions and Elizabeth turned away to hide her red cheeks, appalled and embarrassed.

Back on the Black Pearl, Sao Feng stepped in front of Meg and offered her his arm. Meg took it, and, looking back at the Endeavor once more, prayed that she would see Jack again.

**END CHAPPIE. WHOO.**


	7. Fancy Cabins and a New Captain

**YO, faithful readers! It's Beth. I know, you're probably wondering how I magically just take over the commentary sometimes, but I'm cool like that. Don't question my magic, and everything will be okay.**

**Meg: You're at my hou-**

**ANYWAY. Thanks so much for the reviews of the last chappie, we really appreciate them! And we hope you enjoy this next installment, as requested. Bethykins out.**

**Disclaimer:**

**Meg: Disclaimer should be all caps. ALL CAPS *with hand motions***

**DISCLAIMER: I am magical, and so is Meggie, but we're not QUITE as magical as Disney, so we only own ourselves. Until we take over the world.**

Meanwhile, actually…a little before 'meanwhile', a certain lord was staring out a very fancy window of a very fancy cabin on a very fancy boat. Ship. Galleon. Beckett was the sort of lord who enjoyed such contemplative activities. Just then, he heard the double doors open behind him and he knew Captain Jack Sparrow had entered his very fancy cabin.

"Curious," Beckett mused, "Your friends appear to be quite desperate, Jack. Perhaps they no longer believe that a gathering of squabbling pirates can defeat the Flying Dutchman. And so despair leads to betrayal. But you and I are no strangers to betrayal, are we, Jack?" During this speech, Jack was snooping around the fancy cabin as nonchalantly as was possible for Jack. Beckett slowly turned around. "It's not here, Jack."

"What's not?" Jack questioned, feigning innocence.

"The heart of Davy Jones," Beckett smirked, "It's safely aboard the Dutchman, and so unavailable for use as leverage to satisfy your debt to the good Captain."

Confidently, Jack crossed the fancy cabin, saying, "By my reckoning, that account has been settled." He spied a cane to entertain himself with.

"By your death," Beckett agreed momentarily, "And yet here you are." He seemed annoyed by the fact.

"Close your eyes and pretend it's all a bad dream," stated the Captain, now with the cane in his grasp. "That's how I get by." He turned back around to mockingly imitate the painting of Beckett directly behind him. Beckett ignored the mockery and pried,

"And if Davy Jones were to learn of your survival? Perhaps you'll be interested in another arrangement…one that requires absolutely nothing from you but information and perhaps one particular woman of your many." The lord eyed Jack mischievously as he handed him a rather tiny glass of hard liquor [which will go unnamed because we actually have no idea if it's whiskey, scotch, or rum. We're assuming rum, 'cause this IS PotC]. Jack frowned, and approached, accepting the alcohol and glancing at some soldier figurines and pieces of eight in a row on the table. He took both glasses, interrupting Beckett from taking his shot, leaving the lord slightly disgruntled.

"Regarding the Brethren Court and Meg, no doubt? In exchange for fair compensation," gulp, "square my debt with Jones," gulp, "guarantee my freedom?" Beckett poured himself more liquor, since Jack had stolen his shot, and replied,

"Of course. It's just good business."

Jack looked down and noticed a figure apart from the rest. It was a tiny figure of Beckett! He picked it up and examined it, clearly plotting to do something with it.

"Were I in a divulgatory mood…what then might I divulge?"

Beckett leaned in close and whispered,

"Everything. Where are they meeting? Who are the pirate lords? What is the purpose of the nine pieces of eight?" He paused and lowered his voice even more. "How is she?"

Jack's eyebrows furrowed and he narrowed his eyes at Beckett, confused.

"Beg pardon?"

"How _is_ she?"

Jack's eyebrows managed to furrow even more as he imagined something he would prefer never to imagine again. He chose to ignore this question for the time being, walking away to pick up a fan. Beckett shrugged and sat down, disappointed, in his fancy chair behind his fancy desk in his fancy cabin. Pivoting in his spot, Jack opened the object and began fanning himself, approaching the fancy desk.

"You can keep Barbossa, the belligerent homunculus and his friend with the wooden eye, both…and Turner," he quit fanning, "especially Turner. The rest go with me aboard the Pearl, and I will lead you to Shipwreck Cove, where I will hand you the pirates and Meg, and you will NOT hand me to Jones." Beckett examined a piece of eight in his fingers. "Bloody fair deal, don't you think?" the Captain went back to fanning himself.

"Not quite good enough, Jack. Where is Elizabeth Norrington?"

"Somewhere doing something incredibly stupid," Jack muttered. "What interest is she to you? Can I trade her instead?" Jack asked excitedly.

"Hmm," the other smirked, "No."

Jack pouted. "Damn."

"But I myself have allies to please, in particular a certain commodore who set a high price for his cooperation. Apparently freedom is not enough for all men." Beckett smiled at Jack. "Jack, I've just recalled I have this wonderful compass, which points to whatever I want." He scampered to the other side of the room and showed off Jack's compass in his hand. Jack's mouth twitched and he rolled his eyes, annoyed. "So for what do I need you?" Beckett taunted.

"It points to what you want most," explained Jack, "and that's not the Brethren Court, is it?"

"Then what is, Jack?"

"Meg. And me…dead."

Beckett frowned. "Damn." Then he tossed the compass to Jack, who tossed the fan back to Beckett. But then the lord's eyes lit up and he began fanning himself ponderously.

"Although," he drolled, "if I kill you, then I can just take Meg for myself, and _then_ use the compass to find…Shipreck Cove (was it?) on my own. Cut out the middle man, as it were." Beckett hoisted a tiny (but fancy) gun and aimed it at Jack's head and Jack frowned some more at the weapon.

"With me killed," Jack began, walking around Beckett, "you'd arrive at Shipwreck Cove, find its stronghold nigh impregnable…able to withstand blockage for years," he approached, Beckett still pointing his tiny (but fancy) gun at Jack, "and then you'd be wishing, 'Oh…if only there were someone I had not killed inside to ensure that the pirates then would come outside…'"

Beckett seemed dubious. "And you can accomplish all this, can you?"

Jack backed away, pleased with himself, "You may kill me, but you may never insult me. Who am I?" he asked with outstretched arms.

Beckett stuttered and shook his head, bewildered.

Now flustered, Jack replied, "I'm…Captain Jack Sparrow!"

Suddenly a cannon fired and rocked the ship, causing Beckett to fall over, holding onto his fancy desk for support. Jack, already having bad balance, simply leaned over, shook the lord's hand and shouted, "Done!" agreeing to the terms. The captain then ran out of the fancy cabin as quickly as possible and to the upper deck. He quickly loaded a cannon, placing the miniature figure of Beckett in the opening (also known as the muzzle face). Tossing ropes, he wrapped one around the neck of the cannon [that's what it's called. Look it up. Parts of a Cannon. Besides, you've seen the movie. You know what I'm talking about].

Beckett stormed angrily out his fancy cabin and, looking out to sea, noticed two distressing things: the Hei Peng (Sao Feng's ship) fleeing the scene and the Black Pearl being taken back over by the pirates! He also noticed Mercer jumping into the sea, but that was not so distressing. After all, who really cares? Then Beckett marched up the stairs and discovered Jack's shenanigans and the figurine of himself about to get blasted.

"You're mad," he declared.

"Thank goodness for that, because if I wasn't, this would probably never work," Sparrow lit the fuse and the cannon fired loudly, flinging him onto the other (less fancy) ship. He landed saying to the remaining pirates, "And that was without a single drop of rum." (Which was a lie.) [But technically we don't know what kind of alcohol it was…anywhosit.] He jumped down and marched over to Will, whose shoulders had been seized by Pintel and Ragetti. Jack sneered. "Send this pestilent, traitorous, cow-hearted, yeasty codpiece to the brig," Then he looked around urgently for Meg. "Where are the trouble-makers?" he asked Barbossa.

"Aboard the Hei Peng," Will called back to Jack, "Sao Feng wanted something with Meg."

"Something from her, no doubt." Jack spat back, irritated.

"Miss Norrington volunteered herself for trouble, of course," Barbossa added.

"Good woman. At least someone's trying to look out for my girl…" Jack felt guilty for a moment, but pinned it on the others, "unlike you idiots."

"And they dragged Elizabeth with them." Will said with concern. Jack grinned.

"Oh good. No worries then." Will glared at him and Jack shooed him away with his hands.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" After more glaring and more shooing, Will was taken below and Jack pulled Barbossa aside.

"What does he want with her, Hector? Tell me the truth." Jack's eyes were steady peering into those of his companion, searching for lies.

"He thinks she's Calypso…" Barbossa replied.

"I wonder how he got that idea," Jack said with sarcasm. The two men parted and Jack pondered just how he was going to get out of this mess…and how he was going to get Meg off that ship.

Later that day, as the sun was setting, Meg was in Sao Feng's fancy cabin being dressed in ceremonial garments by two servant ladies. As they were finishing, Sao Feng entered his fancy cabin, speaking something in his native language. Meg, however, being bad at languages, and obviously not knowing this one, stood confused.

"Fwah?" she mumbled.

"By this time tomorrow, we will arrive at Shipwreck Cove," Sao Feng began in English, "and you will be free…Calypso."

Again, Meg said, "Fwah?"

Sao Feng took some leaves out of a fancy bowl of water and then washed his fingertips in it as he said,

"Not the same you fancy I'm sure, out of the many that you have. But it is what we call you."

"This is true…I do have many nicknames…but who are we talking about? Who calls me what?" Meg tilted her head quizzically. Sao Feng rotated slowly towards her and murmured,

"You confirm it." He began to eat a leaf.

Meg blinked. "Um…what did I just confirm?" She really wanted to ask if the leaf was tasty, but figured that would not be a smart question at this particular point in time. She thought she'd have to ask later. "I'm not sure that you told me anything all that interesting…" Sao Feng began pacing, as if preparing for story mode.

"The Brethren Court-not I- the first court, whose position I would've opposed," He said, slamming his hand against a wooden pole that happened to be nearby, "bound you to human form, so the rule of the sea would belong to men and not-"

"Me?"

Sao Feng smiled at her and eased closer.

"But one such as you should never be less than what you are…"

"You know, that's some pretty talk from someone like you…after just capturing me and stuff...it's not very charming at all."

"Can I be blamed for my efforts?" The captain inquired, eyeing Meg, who suddenly found herself backed against the very same pillar that Sao Feng had hit. "All men are drawn to the sea, perilous though it may be."

"You're a poet, and you didn't even know it!" Meg paused and cleared her throat, realizing the seriousness of the situation. "Um…well…desire isn't really a good justification for anything you've done," she looked around, looking for an escape.

"I simply offer my desire," He replied.

"Um…didn't I just say…nevermind," Meg shook her head. "What am I giving to you in return?"

"I would have your gifts, should you choose to give them."

"…I'm not really comfy with that…"

Sao Feng narrowed his eyes on her, determined. "Then I will take your fury!" He exclaimed. He moved in to kiss Meg, but Meg ducked and shrunk to the floor as if she was melting, and quickly crawled away from Sao Feng. He turned around, angry, and began moving towards her when all of the sudden a [yet again conveniently timed] cannon ball burst through the hull and destroyed the fancy cabin. Meg had ducked and covered her head since she was already on the floor. Sao Feng was wounded in the blast and Meg looked up to discover him pinned against the opposite wall, pierced through by a large piece of wood.

"Sao Feng," she said, as if she had a sudden stroke of compassion for the creepy old man. Then again, he did have a giant plank of wood thrust through his torso and was bleeding to death.

"Here…please," he whispered, motioning Meg closer and ripping a necklace from his throat. She quickly crawled over. "With all nine pieces of eight, you will be free." Sao Feng placed the necklace in her hands and urged her, "Take it! You are captain now. Go in my place…to Shipwreck Cove."

"Me…?" she looked down at the bobble in her hand.

"Forgive me, Calypso." Sao Feng exhaled.

Meg stared at the former captain's body in bewilderment. She realized he was dead, then remembered she never got to ask about how the leaf tasted. However, this was now very unimportant because obviously they were under attack. Standing up, Meg murmured to herself, "I'm the captain…?" She tucked away the important object she was given and started for the entrance of the now destroyed fancy cabin.

Ten minutes earlier in a much less fancy location, otherwise known as the brig of the Hei Peng, Beth was leaning against the wall of her cell with one eyebrow continuously raised, for she was continuously plotting how to escape. So far, it wasn't going well.

"So," Elizabeth, who was sitting across from Beth in the cell, sighed, "What was your next move after landing us in here?"

"You know what, I do not deserve that sarcastic tone, lady." Beth retorted. "If I hadn't suggested we do a drinking song so enthusiastically without being drunk that the pirates assumed we were mentally insane, we would probably be fighting for our lives right now."

"Just the same, it was humiliating." Elizabeth fidgeted awkwardly.

"Oh come on! I was the one who did all the work! You didn't even TRY to sing the words and you're terrible at dancing."

The women exchanged frustrated glances, then chuckled.

"Fine," Elizabeth said, "then I guess…thank you. For being good at being a total idiot."

"I will choose to interpret that as a 'total genius' with a little life-saving idiocy on the side," Beth smirked.

"Honestly, how did that plan even work?"

Beth shook her head. "I have no idea. I got skills?"

Elizabeth was about to debate that assertion when they both heard cannon fire. Soon after, wood was exploding everywhere in front of them as cannon balls flew through the hull. Water was streaming through the holes in the Hei Peng.

"Well, this cannot be good," Beth said to Elizabeth.

"We need to get out of here!" Was the emphatic reply. The two searched even more thoroughly than before for a weakness in their cage's structure, but there was no possible escape. Then, a cannon ball flew through their cell. The two screamed and dove for a back corner. When Beth felt it was safe to open her eyes, she discovered the cannon ball had blown the bars of their cell to bits.

"Check it, Elizabeth! Huzzah for protagonist perks!"

"What?" Elizabeth said, bewildered, but relieved.

"Not important. Leeeet's go!"

Beth ran through the lower level of the ship, searching for the stairs, with Elizabeth not far behind. When she found them, she also found Tai Huang, who had apparently come to rescue them. He was carrying three swords.

"Can you use them?" He said, holding two out to the girls. They nodded, snatched them out of his hands, and followed him up the stairs.

"I must go to the captain!" Tai Huang announced amid the chaos of the main deck. Soldiers from the East India Trading Company and Davy Jones' cronies had practically taken over the ship!

"I'm coming with you!" Beth shouted. "Wherever Sao Feng is, my friend is with him. Elizabeth, go kill some people." Elizabeth nodded and ran off and Tai Hung lead Beth to Sao Feng's not-so-fancy-anymore cabin.

As Meg was running up the stairs, she ran into Beth and Tai Huang running down the stairs.

"Meg!" Beth hugged her friend.

"No time for that!" Tai Huang pushed passed the girls and halted dead in his tracks. He saw Sao Feng's body, motionless and pale.

"He's dead…" Meg murmured. Beth looked at the body with wide eyes.

"But, but, the ship is taken! Who is-"

"He made me Captain of the Hei Peng," Meg replied in the same low, steady voice as she reached for the bobble now around her neck. The man glowered at her.

"You are not my captain…"

"Deal with it, we have bigger problems!" Beth yelled, shaking the man's shoulders. "Beckett and Davy Jones are probably on deck right now, discussing the most painful way to butcher our BODIES."

Meg sighed. She didn't want to have to deal with these problems. But she wondered…if Beckett was here, maybe Jack was close by!

"Let's go then," the new Captain ordered. Beth and Tai Huang followed her back up the stairs. On the main deck, it became apparent that the fight was over, because Elizabeth and the rest of Meg's [Sao Feng's] crew were being held captive. The three of them were also seized, and Meg searched with desperate eyes for Jack. Instead, peering through the sea of red coats and dilapidated men, she saw-

"Norry!" Beth cried, trying to wrench herself free. She and Meg looked at each other, then back at the man of the hour, then back at each other. Their wordless communication begged the same question:

"How'd he get that fancy get up?"

**Thanks for reading! Please review and such. It gives us more motivation to get stuff done. ^_^**

**. ... . ...**

**OUTRO OF DARKNESS, THEN REDNESS, THEN WHITENESS! [(c) Tobuscus]**

**...too much Tobuscus.**

**Beth: Not possible.**

**Meggie: This is true.**


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